Interchangeable carton and display device



1937- w. HORBATUCK Y 2,089,797

INTERCHANGEABLE CARTON AND DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 26, 1936 Patented Aug. 16, 1937 ilNii'ED STATES PATENT QFFHQE INTERCHANGEABLE CARTON AND DISPLAY DEVICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to shipping and display devices.

One object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described including improved means adapted for interchangeable use as a shipping or direct mail carton and as a display device.

Heretofore display devices, with or without merchandise, have had to be wrapped up in wrapping paper, or the like, for shipment. Frequently a manufacturer or jobber individually mails large numbers of such display devices or as advertising for his goods, with the object of procuring orders for his goods, or to place his prod- 5 ucts with small retailers. Hence the cost of the wrapping paper and of the labor involved in making up the individual packages has been a serious drawback.

An object of the invention is the elimination of these expenses and the provision of a simple, in-

expensive, conveniently manipulated structure, having improved interconnecting means, and which is rugged and reliable, and which can be manipulated without any particular instructions to provide a self contained merchandise container that can be directly closed or sealed and which is adapted to be opened up or reversed to afford a merchandise display having ample stability in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several 40 views.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a plan view in closed position of a device embodying the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the 45 respective lines 22 and 33 thereof.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the blank for the device. Fig. 5 is a perspective isometric View of the device in upright display position.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional View taken on the 59 line 66 thereof.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 'l? of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified connecting means for the display position.

Fig. -9 is a plan view of the closed device according to said modified connecting means, a part being removed.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplifioation of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, [9 denotes a device embodying the invention, and showing the same closed for direct mailing, as by an adhesive strip of paper H or in any other suitable manner. The mailing address may be placed at l2 or upon the other side of the carton. To open the carton, the adhesive strip H may be broken, whereupon the merchandise therein can be removed and the device set up in display position.

The device as a display is illustrated at M, in which condition the carton has been reversely folded and parts thereof interlocked as will be described in detail hereinafter. Generally speaking, the display device [4 includes a front wall or panel 15 which may carry merchandise or a suitable design. It also includes top and bottom horizontal walls [6, one of which may form part of a base and the other a topshelf for supporting articles or merchandise thereon.

The invention will be more clearly understood by first referring to the blank I! from which the interchangeable carton and display is formed. This blank includes the generally central oblong panel or wall l5. Extending from opposite sides thereof are flap-like members l8, defined as by score lines I9, and each having a score line 20 parallel to its line l9. Each line 20 may be relatively nearer to the free edge 2| than to the score line IQ of the members I 8, to thus provide the wall portions [6 and companion tab or looking elements 2|.

The other sides of the central panel [5 may have extensions or side walls that may be integrally united to the panel l5 as by narrow edge walls 24 defined by parallel score lines 25, 26, with the walls 24 formed on or as parts of the extensions 23. The latter may also have slots 2? extending from the side edges 28 in parallelism with the score lines 26, but positioned remotely therefrom and in relative proximity to the end edges 29 of the side walls 23. Intermediate of the slots 27 and the score lines 26, the edges 28 may be undercut as shown at 30.

To form the blank ll into the carton ill, the extensions i8 are first folded downward over the merchandise that may be placed on the panel 15. Then the side walls 23 are folded down over the extensions i8 to completely house the merchandise. Finally the adhesive strip ll may be applied to the walls 23 along the edges 29. The extensions i8 tend to lie snug against the walls 23 to reliably retain the merchandise.

After the carton it has been opened and the merchandise removed, the carton is opened up flat in the manner of the blank ll. Now the side Walls 23 are swung in opposite directions with the edge walls 24 moving therewith so that these portions appear relatively at an opposite side of the central panel. Likewise the flap extensions l8 are similarly swung toward the same relatively reverse side of the panel, with the tongue portions 22 being bent into a vertical plane and inserted into the slots 21 of the side walls 23 to interlock with the latter. The arrangement is as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 with the side walls 23 converging rearward toward each other. he design 35 of the panel l which formerly was protected within the carton 60 now appears in the face of the display. The score lines 253 may be such as to permit only the folding for the display locking position. The other score lines may be such as to readily permit the reverse folding.

If it be desired to eliminate the slots 2? on the face of the carton m, the same may be formed in like relative position in the tongues 22a of the flaps i811 of the device 32 as shown at Ma, so as to extend from the edges 2 i to the score lines 29. The side walls 23a may have the undercuts 30a.

The cut outs 3d and 30a. are important to allow for the thickness of the wall portions 116 in the display position of the device, so that the edges 28 will rest on the supporting plane. In the construction ill, the slots 2'! afford a limiting and removal point in forming the undercut 30.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A display device including a. one piece blank of relatively stiff material, the blank having a central wall section and opposite top, bottom and 55 end flaps defined by score lines that adapt the flaps to be hingedly folded at will to positions at the front or rear of the central wall section, the central wall section having its front face constituting a display front, the said flaps in frontward folded position forming a cover overlying the display front of the central wall section and coacting with the latter to provide a relatively flat shipping carton, the top and bottom flaps underlying the end flaps in the carton forming position, the flaps, in rearward folded position, extending outward of the central wall section to form a support with the latter to maintain the display upright, the top and bottom flaps being horizontal and having flap portions extending continuously from end to end thereof along their edges and being downwardly folded along hinge lines parallel to the central wall section in the display position mentioned, the end flaps having vertical slots open at their upper and lower edges for receiving the said flap portions, with the end flaps rearwardly converging toward each other, the end flaps having undercut portions having end abutment with the top and bottom flaps and disposed therebetween.

2. An easel-like display device including a blank having a wall, top, bottom and end flap-like elements, hinge means so connecting said elements with said wall that said elements are swingable to difierent positions at one or an opposite face of the wall, a display on the front face of said Wall, said elements in one position thereof extending laterally of said wall at the opposite face thereof to form a support with said wall upright to hold the display front in display position, said elements in the other position thereof forming a cover overlying and housing the display means with the display device constituting a relatively flat shipping carton, said elements being disposed at the topand bottom and at the ends of the said wall in the display position of the device, with the end elements being between the top and bottom elements to afford a flat horizontal base and a fiat horizontal top shelf for the device in the display position, the top and bottom elements respectively having downwardly and upwardly folded marginal portions and the end elements having slots open ended at the top and bottom edges thereof for receiving the downwardly and upwardly folded marginal portions in interlocking relation therewith, said slots being spaced from the hinge connections of the end elements, and the latter having their upper and lower edges undercut from their hinge lines to their slots, and said end elements rearwardly converging toward each other.

WESLEY HORBATUCK. 

